


Tear-stained

by Rangergirl3



Series: Whumptober 2019 [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Keith (Voltron) Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 03:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21264635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3
Summary: (Further!!) Continuation of when Olia and Matt are trying to give a severely traumatized Keith medical aid.





	Tear-stained

Olia rummages through her medical supplies.

"All right," she says. "Matthew, you said that gauze would be - suitable? For the injuries caused when Haxus...?"

Matt swallows, pushing away the nausea that swells at the memory.

_Haxus had taken a pliers and torn out Keith's canine teeth before Olia had succeeded in getting them out. _

"Yeah, that'll - that'll work."

Olia nods. 

"Very well."

She uncorks a small bottle of clear liquid and holds it up to the light. 

"This is a pain-relief solution, and yes, I made certain of its safety and effectiveness for part-Galra before securing it."

Matt nods his head. "How fast will it start to work?"

Olia's eyes crease in concern.

"I do not know. All I know is that there is very little of it. We must not waste any."

Matt swallows. Under his hands, Keith won't stop trembling. 

_His friend must still be scared out of his mind_.

"Let's - uh, try not to scare him any more than we have to, yeah?" he asks. Olia nods.

* * *

The hands keeping him in place against the ground do not disappear, and fear continues to pound like a drumbeat throughout Keith's entire body. 

_He can't defend himself like this._

Something spills onto his tongue. It tastes of medicine, but it frightens him, badly, and when Keith tries to spit it out, a palm settles over his nose and mouth again, and he lets out a panicked whine.

_No, please, **no** -_

In a panic, Keith twists and turns, but no matter what he does, it's impossible to escape the hands keeping him in pinned against the floor.

_He doesn't - he doesn't want this - but - he - needs - needs to breathe -_

Keith chokes down the liquid, gasps for air, and finally opens his eyes.

When he does, he finds himself staring up into a familiar face.

* * *

Matt gulps back a sob, but manages a shaky smile.

"Hey, buddy," he croaks. "It's - it's pain meds, okay? I'm sorry - I - I really am -"

He wants to say that he's sorry Keith had to go through what he did, but all of his words dry up, and all he can say is 'I'm sorry.'

* * *

"I'm sorry," Matt says. "I really am sorry."

Keith stares back up at him in confusion.

_Sorry for...what?_

Matt scrubs his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket.

"-for - everything - and -"

Olia's voice cuts in, low but urgent. 

"Matthew. The medical gauze."

Matt nods, once, and then continues, his voice breaking as he does so.

"Keith - listen - um - you trust me, right? To - to help?"

Keith nods. It's a tiny motion, but it means a lot.

"...'_s_..." he whispers. 

Matt finds that he's not able to say anything in response. Instead, he just nods to Olia.

* * *

When Keith turns his eyes away from Matt's, he sees someone in rebel soldier gear nearby. She's holding a roll of medical gauze, and gesturing towards him.

Keith looks back up towards Matt, but Matt just nods at her and tells Keith that 'it's going to be okay.'

Then claw-tipped fingers come to rest against the underside of Keith's jaw, and he whimpers before he can stop it.

"It's all right," the rebel soldier says. "This will help stop the bleeding."

* * *

When she places the gauze against the first bleeding injury, Keith whimpers again, but he doesn't try to get away.

As she continues to work, Keith's sight blurs. Against his will, hot tears slide down his face, staining his torn and tattered Blade's uniform.

* * *

Olia's motions are brisk, but kind. 

All the same, Matt has to swallow and look away.

Otherwise, he might cry too.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are better than a fresh cup of coffee!! :D <3


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